Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

f DT page 19A seldom attributed to its true etiology but most commonly identified as a cone fit or condensation failure. When a given file design always cuts to length, it is highly unlikely to exhibit fidelity to the original canal path in apically curved canals. Com- bining that fact with the fact that at least half of all canal curvatures are hidden in our conventional radio- graphic imaging, it makes an incon- trovertible case for safety above cut- ting efficiency if only one of these two attributes is designed into an instrument set. That leaves us to consider new files introduced to solve mythi- cal problems not proven to exist or to deliver efficiencies provided by already existing instruments that have been around for a decade. The best example being the SAF (self-adjusting file) brought to mar- ket and abandoned less than a year later. This cardiac-stent-like file, truly a beautiful design as its hyper- flexible, cross-laced struts are laser- cut out of NiTi tube stock, was hailed as a transformational file, and that it is. What it isn’t, though, is an instru- ment that cuts dentin but rather only sands it, thus creating no reproduc- ible canal shape and catapulting us back to an era before system-based endodontics related obturation procedures to specific pre-defined shaping outcomes. Oh, and there was also the issue of needing to buy a proprietary handpiece/irrigation device and a $50 cost per instru- ment. So whose bottom line was in mind? Not yours. Another example is the recently introduced reciprocating file. What problem does this solve for you? Do you need to spend money on a new handpiece and learn an entirely dif- ferent technique for shaping canals that won’t improve your results or your bottom line? And is the claim that you can cut a shape with one file entirely true or even new for that matter? Single-file shaping is not a new or unique claim, as GT and later GTX Files have cut single-file shapes since 1996. And, as I have understood since I first proposed a single file concept and success- fully designed a file line that could accomplish that outcome, there is no file design that can cut a single- file shape in all canals. Two to three files to cut shape in a nasty root? Sure, but nobody gets a single file to length in that one. The large roots with huge apical canal diameters? Two should do it, but nobody is shaping that canal with a single file. Small canals with significant curvature or constriction cannot be shaped with a single file without risk of instrument separation, and canals with larger apical diameters will usually require two instruments — one to cut an initial shape so that the terminal diameter of the canal can be accurately gauged and the second file to finish. With GTX Files, 95 percent of canals can be shaped with one to two files in less than a minute, and half of all medium-sized canals (in large molar roots) are completed with just one 30-.08 GTX File. This is while using any existing rotary handpiece and a technique you are familiar with. So this new “single-file shap- About the author at the post-graduate endodontic programs at USC and UCLA. He maintains a private practice limited to endodontics and implant surgery in Santa Barbara, Calif., and is the founder of Dental Edu- cation Laboratories, a hands-on training center serving general dentists and endodontist upgrad- ing their skills in new endodontic and implant technology. Buchanan can be reached through his business, Dental Education Laboratories, at www. endobuchanan.com or info@endo buchanan.com. L. Stephen Buchanan, DDS, FICD, FACD is a diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics and an assistant clinical professor ing” claim is neither new nor true. So what do you bring in and what do you leave out? The biggest improvement happening in my clini- cal practice is the introduction of full rotary negotiation. And for this giant step forward, you don’t need a new handpiece; these files work well in the hand- piece you are currently using. So two things to keep in mind here: First, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it; and second, be certain before you make the investment to buy into a new rotary shaping system that it solves a problem you actually have. DT Shofu Dental is holding product demonstrations at ADA booth No. 638, featuring its new injectable hybrid restorative, BEAUTIFIL Flow Plus. This restorative combines hybrid-like strength and function- ality, unique handling and stack- ability and a flowable delivery. Additionally, the material has 15 percent more radiopacity than enamel and offers the benefit of fluoride release and rechargability. Those interested in seeing the material firsthand are encouraged to come see what all the excite- ment is about at the Shofu booth. According to Shofu, BEAUTIFIL Flow Plus is lauded as the next step in the evolution of restorative materials based on its convenient flowable delivery system, physical properties and functionality that rivals leading hybrid composites. Brian Melonakos, president of Shofu Dental, said he has been very pleased with the success of the product. “We’ve always known that we have an amazing product on our hands … but none of us Seeing is believing Come check out a product demonstration of BEAUTIFIL Flow Plus To see product demonstrations of the BEAUTIFIL Flow Plus, stop by the Shofu Dental booth, No. 1128. (Photo/Provided by Shofu Dental) imagined how quickly it would catch on,” he said. Unlike other flowables, BEAUTIFIL Flow Plus has stay-put handling and physical properties that allow use on the occlusal sur- face and marginal ridge, eliminat- ing the need to pack a hybrid com- posite on top. A flowable base, liner and final restorative material, BEAUTIFIL Flow Plus is approved for all indi- cations (Class I–V). With a smooth, self-leveling consistency, the mate- rial leaves a tight marginal seal on the bottom and a smooth ready-to- polish surface on top. Moreover, Shofu’s proprietary S-PRG (surface pre-reacted glass) technology pro- vides sustained fluoride release and recharge that can’t be found in any other composite material. BEAUTIFIL Flow Plus is avail- able in two distinct viscosities. F00 (zero flow) offers precision stack- ing, and F03 (low flow) is an ideal base/liner. For a limited time only, BEAUTIFIL Flow Plus is avail- able in two introductory kits. The Visit Shofu at ADA booth No. 638 for a product demo, or for more informa- tion, call (800) 827-4638 or visit www.shofu.com. standard kit (PN 2000S) offers two 2.2-gram syringes of both viscosi- ties in shades A2 and A3, and the pedo kit (PN 2000P) offers two 2.2- gram syringes in both viscosities in shades A1 and bleach white. Both kits also contain samples of Shofu’s top-selling products, including the seventh-generation bonding agent BeautiBond, One Gloss, Super Snap and Shofu’s hybrid material, BEAUTIFIL II. The kits retail for $99.95 (a $160 value). DT Industry News DENTAL TRIBUNE | September 201120A ADA BOOtH nO. 638